Dreams keep you with me
by Heart of a Winner
Summary: Ash is entering the Sinnoh League with his friends Brock, and Dawn, to cheer him on. Misty is living in Cerulean City, making a life for herself as a gym leader. The two friends haven't been together in years, and yet they're never truly apart...
1. Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Hey all! I'm brand new to all of this fan-fiction stuff, so please bear with me. I wrote this story as soon as the Sinnoh League battles really began. (So, about a week ago.) I've always been an Ash and Misty fan, and I just thought this story might be a nice way to remember Misty, especially since I made it take place in the episodes that are just airing in Japan.

I don't own Pokemon, and this is purely made for fun. If you like it, please leave a comment! Thank you!

EDIT : I got a very nice comment from **oombala** that said I should give a little backstory to make this more understandable, and I agree! So for those who are reading this, this fic is taking place in the most recent Japanese episodes of Pokemon, (DP 182 and on) where Ash is competing in the Suzuran Conference, or the Sinnoh League Championships. Ash and Misty haven't seen each other since that small time she traveled with him in the Advanced Generation episodes (AG 132) so it's been about 2 years, give or take a couple months, since they've had REAL contact. They are about 14-15 in this fic, so a BIT older than when the anime started :) Hope this clears things up a bit.

* * *

Misty's stomach flipped-flopped as she pushed her bike forward. Before, she'd been able to temporarily distract herself. Memories of her amazing journey had flooded her head, making her forget the newfound sadness that panged in her gut. But she couldn't distract herself now.

She'd been promising herself for years she would tell him. YEARS. And even though it killed her, she still couldn't do it. Knowing that she was closer to Cerulean City with each step didn't help.

Misty bit her lip until she was afraid it would bleed. It would be so EASY to yell at him now. So EFFORTLESS. She wanted to scream and cry in his face until he finally understood how badly it hurt to love someone... who didn't love you back. Misty looked over at Brock, the image of calmness, and reminded herself that fighting wouldn't solve anything.

She felt weak thinking about what WOULD solve her problems. Misty knew that if by some crazy one in a million chance he felt the same way about her that she felt about him, she would be complete.

Misty stared at the young boy, and wondered if one day, not today, but one day, he would see her as she saw him. Strong, brave, talented, ... beautiful. She blushed to herself.

That settled it. No matter what happened today, Misty knew that she always wanted the boy to be a part of her life. And as the trio neared the spot where she would say goodbye, she only wanted one thing from him.

A promise - a promise that they would meet again. If he said yes, Misty would wait for him no matter how long he took. If he said no... she blinked her eyes rapidly to stop tears she hadn't noticed building up.

If he said no… she'd slap him. Hard. And say GOOD RIDDANCE.

Togepi chirped happily from the basket on Misty's new bike, and she wondered if the baby pokemon could understand her thoughts. She hoped not.

Brock stopped walking; they were here. Misty followed suit and took a deep breath. This was really it.

Her eyes were even brighter than usual as the sun glimmered off of the tears she refused to shed.

"Take care Ash."

"You too, Misty."

A lump rose in her throat and she swallowed hard to keep it down. She really didn't want to leave him. Not her best friend, not ASH...

Her emotions were so powerful she almost shook from their blow. But she held it together. She had to know if he'd still want to see her again. And she had to know NOW.

"Will I - see you again?"

No turning back now. Ash paused.

"You will. I swear!"

"Like, MISTY! Get your lazy butt out of bed! NOW!"

"WAH! I'm up, I'm up!" Misty stumbled out of her bed and glanced at her watch.

The glowing numerals read 12:30.

_12:30? How could I have possibly slept in so late?_

"Azurill – we have to get up." She picked up the small blue pokemon and held it close.

"Zu-zu…" the normal type responded tiredly, snuggling into Misty's hair. Misty understood. She hadn't wanted to wake up either.

"MISTY!" Misty looked up to see Daisy saunter into her room, and sigh.

"Look, I'm sorry I forgot to wake you." _Ah, so she DID notice I was pissed_, Misty thought. _She better have a really good excuse_…

"It's just that Tracey came over this morning and we went out for pancakes! Oh, Misty he was such a gentl-!" Misty cringed. She didn't want to know.

"All right! It doesn't matter what you were doing. Just, PLEASE, buy me an alarm clock today okay?" Daisy nodded.

"No prob little sis. Now, like, get downstairs!" Daisy winked and began to head for the door. Then she stopped in her tracks, smirking and turning back to look at Misty.

"Oh, and Misty?" Misty raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

"You really should've gotten over that Ash kid YEARS ago in my opinion;_ and_ your sleep talking habit. It's just strange. Well- see ya!" Daisy laughed and shut the door behind her.

Misty's cheeks burned in shame, and she groaned. It was weird and embarrassing enough to be having so many dreams about Ash in the first place. Now she was telling people about them! That was even BETTER!

"I don't know what to do Azurill…" Misty released her tight hold on the pokemon and watched it bounce towards her bed.

"Ash used to mean… so…. much to me." She started picking through her drawers, putting on her clothes in silence. But her mind wouldn't stop buzzing.

"It's been a really long time since I saw him. Things have changed. I've changed." Misty tightened her hair in a ponytail.

"I may have felt that way about him before, but I don't anymore! And I hate how these dreams keep making me feel… guilty." Her eyes slid toward the mirror, and she looked at her reflection. The strong trainer hidden beneath her issues was hard to miss. She smiled.

She couldn't let the dreams get to her. She refused. She'd lived without Ash Ketchum for a long, long time now, and it was better this way. Misty Waterflower's unrequited love issues were way in the past, the way they should be.

Her smile faltered.

If ANY of that was true, then why, why, WHY had she woken up that morning, wishing she'd kissed him… instead of saying goodbye?


	2. You'll always be my friend

I hope that you all like this story, and that it isn't TOO farfetched. Here's part 2 :)

Once again, I don't own Pokemon. Just like writing about it xD

Please comment if you liked it! Enjoy!

* * *

"After a heated battle, the winner is – ASH KETCHUM OF PALLET TOWN!"

He'd done it. His confidence may have needed boosting before, but now he was over the moon.

"We did it Pikachu! ALL RIGHT!" Ash laughed and threw his fist into the air.

"I just won the Sinnoh League! YES, YES, YES!" The crowds cheers made Ash want to jump for joy. He'd been so nervous about battling against Paul, but now he knew he was the better trainer.

"Brock! Dawn! Where are you guys?" Ash scanned the bleachers, looking for the two friends who had traveled with him throughout Sinnoh, always cheering him on.

The crowd was SO loud. Ash kept staring at the stands, wondering where his friends had gone to. Had they changed spots?

Then, a familiar voice cut through the loudness of the arena. Very familiar…

"Ash! I'm so proud of you!" He turned to smile at the voice, and his jaw dropped.

He hadn't been expecting her- hadn't gotten his hopes up, and yet here she was. In Sinnoh. And she'd seen him win.

"MISTY!" he ran towards her, eyes sparkling. His first traveling companion, and best friend, would always have a special place in his heart. He was so happy to see her.

As soon as they got close enough, they hugged. Ash felt something not unlike an electric current race through his body, and he pulled her tighter. It was a weird sensation, but not a bad one, he decided. Looking at his friend, he realized how much he'd missed her since she left.

"Misty, I-"

"Shhh." Misty put a finger to her lips, and winked.

"We'll have plenty of time to talk later Champion, but first…" Ash just blinked. What was she doing?

Misty started leaning in, and he felt drawn to her gaze, leaning in as well. Her eyes started to close and he felt his heart start beating fast and furiously. She was not acting the way she usually did. Something inside him LIKED that.

Their lips were an inch apart. A centimeter. He closed his eyes, ready for her.

"Ash?"

"Misty?"

"Uh… Ash- it's…. Brock. You have to get up. You have a match against Nando today. I – I thought you might need good breakfast."

Ash's eyes had never snapped open so fast.

"Oh, right! Thanks Brock. I'm going to win today!" Brock just nodded.

"… Ash?" Ash tilted his head.

"Yeah?"

"What did you… call me before?" Brock sweatdropped. Couldn't get more awkward than this.

"… I called you… Brock!" Ash laughed picking up his cap from the nightstand and putting it on his head.

"I'll be right back, okay? Bathroom. I'm expecting a really good breakfast!" Ash laughed again, too loudly, and shut the door behind him. Brock had never seen him bolt out of bed that fast, ever.

"Right." Brock smiled at the closed door.

Ash had totally just called him Misty, no doubt.

The way Brock saw it, there were two possibilities…

One – The pressure from the League was really getting to Ash, making him spacey.

Two – Ash was FINALLY starting to realize the pleasure that only dreaming of _females_ could bring.

Brock smiled slyly. He really hoped that it was option two. Ash was getting older after all, and, hey, it would be nice to finally have someone in the group who understood why he loved girls so much.

Besides, if Ash had a crush on Misty, then Misty still had a chance. Brock chuckled. He'd always known the red-head had cared a lot about Ash. A lot. Who knew what this realization could do for the two's relationship?

As the door closed behind Ash, his eyes widened, and he smacked his forehead hard with his hand.

He'd just called Brock, MISTY.

He trudged slowly down the hall to the bathroom, wishing he could curl up in a ball of embarrassment.

He missed Misty a lot, and he knew that. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't remember his friend, even if only for a second.

But this was completely different.

For the past three weeks, his nights had been filled with Misty. As soon as his head hit the pillow he was dreaming of her, every moment.

Misty swimming in her sisters water ballet, Ash and Misty battling in the Whirl Cup, Misty saving Ash from drowning, Ash saving Misty from Team Rocket, Misty in her Goldeen kimono, Misty… leaving him.

Ash felt his stomach drop in sadness. Yeah, that last one had definitely come up the most, and he hated it more each time. What stunk the most was waking up crying, trying to forget how bad it hurt to lose his best friend, AGAIN and AGAIN. He knew it was just a dream, but it hurt just like the real thing. Which was horrible.

Ash walked into the bathroom and turned on the sink, washing his face. Now he had a new dream to add to the list, Misty coming to the Sinnoh league. As if that one was even plausible.

He looked in the mirror at his bloodshot eyes and remembered how thoughts of failing had kept him awake most of the night.

He hadn't felt like a failure when Misty had hugged him… when she'd almost…

Ash looked away from his reflection and gripped the sink, tightening his jaw.

He shouldn't be focusing on dreams at a time like this. The Sinnoh League started TODAY and _that_ was what he needed to worry about.

He walked out of the bathroom determined not to let the dreams get to him. Ash knew that he couldn't be weak when his pokemon needed him to be strong. And besides…

He could be weak _tonight_. There was no doubt in the young trainers mind that he would go to sleep tonight, and find Misty, still waiting for him. And he would kiss her, because he was weak, and he wouldn't stop it.

Because he wanted her almost as bad as he wanted to win.

* * *

Well, I guess that's it! I hope everyone liked this fic. I might want to continue it, but first I would need to know how the Sinnoh League ends, and second, I would need to know if anyone was actually reading it haha. So, if you liked the fic and think it could continue, leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!


	3. Sinnoh League Victor

Hey again! :D Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, or favorited my story. I'm so glad people actually like it. So far, Ash has only battled one person in the Suzuran (probably spelled that wrong) Conference. So, I could only write about his first battle, but I hope you all like this anyway ;D Don't worry, it'll get more AAML as the story goes on. Thanks for reading and I hope I got everything right!

* * *

"Gyarados! Use flamethrower!" Misty commanded. She watched her opponents eyes widen in shock, and grinned. She loved surprising her challengers.

"Bayleef! Try to dodge it! Quick!"

The Bayleef took a step to the left, but it was too late. The roar of Misty's Gyarados was almost deafening as the attack hit its target. She put a hand to her mouth and coughed, trying not to let the smoke get into her throat. Then, the room was silent.

Misty looked up and saw that the smoke was beginning to dissipate, fast. She squinted to see clearer and almost shouted with joy at what she saw. On the other side of the gym, she could just make out the silhouette of the Bayleef collapsed on the floor. She'd won!

" Bayleef!" The young challenger ran up to the Pokemon, collapsed next to it, and started stroking its head.

"I'm really sorry Bayleef… I promise next time, I'll do better; for both of us. Return!" Misty blinked. The smoke was almost fully gone now, and the red light zapped the Bayleef off the floor until it was safe in its pokeball. She looked away.

"Gyarados – you did a great job too. Now, it's time you took a good rest. Thanks for your help." She reached her hand out and Gyarados zapped into the pokeball with ease. Grinning, she shrunk it down and clipped it onto her belt.

She loved getting challenges at the Gym, but what she really loved was winning. The opponent today had probably thought that a grass-type wouldn't break a sweat against a water-type, and she'd proved him wrong with Gyarados. Misty knew that it had been worth it to tame the Pokemon, even though it had been one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do. Gyarados was a great addition to her team.

The sound of footsteps startled Misty from her thoughts, and she looked up to see the back of the young trainer as he head for the exit.

"Hey, kid! Wait up!" She yelped. Making sure her pokeballs were clipped to her belt, Misty dove into the pool. If it wasn't for the fact that she was a Gym Leader, she would probably just swim all day. The feeling of the ice-cold water on her skin was exhilarating and sent tingles up her spine. But having so many challengers didn't really leave time to swim just for fun, unfortunately. One last stroke brought her to the other end of the pool, and she surfaced.

"Where are you going?" She climbed over the edge until she reached the ground where the trainer was standing, not responding.

"Well?" Misty implored. The boy sighed.

"I know what you're going to say. I have to train harder or else I'll never win. I really don't want to hear it." He began to reach for the door when Misty grabbed his shoulder roughly and spun him around to face her.

"I'll have you know that I-!" Then she stopped herself. The expression the boy was giving her was one of sadness and utter defeat. He may have been really rude, but Misty never kicked someone when they were down. It just wasn't fair. She let go of his shoulder and he rubbed it instinctively.

"Look, I know how disappointing it is to lose; especially to a Gym leader. But… You have to realize that it's not _always_ about winning. Your Pokemon did a great job today, and you should be proud that you're their trainer! I know one day you'll be even better, and I look forward to the day you challenge me again!" She smiled warmly. She couldn't do much more for the boy then try and encourage him. He flushed.

"Th- thanks Misty. I'll definitely train harder for next time. I'll be ready!" She chuckled.

"Good luck!" Misty patted him on the back and watched him exit the doors. She knew that he'd tried his best, and she was glad he'd come to her gym. That didn't mean that she was easy to beat though. She never was. Being competitive, and working with her Pokemon daily had made her almost impossible to beat. The Cerulean Gym had never been in better shape.

"Misty! There's another trainer here. It's kind of late though, should I, like, kick her out?" Daisy's voice was loud and screechy over the intercom, and Misty bit her lip. Usually, she'd be all for another challenger. It wasn't like her to outright refuse a battle, but she had something to do tonight; something to watch. Misty pressed the red button on the wall next to her and spoke into the speaker.

"Daisy? Tell them I'm sorry, but I can't take any more challenges today. My Pokemon are really tired." Well, it was kind of true, Misty reasoned. Nothing to feel guilty about.

"Um, okaaay. If you're suuuure." Misty sighed and walked out of the arena, shutting off the lights. She felt bad about ignoring the challenger, but she'd been looking forward to this all day, and she wasn't about to miss it. The battle could wait until tomorrow. Still, she purposely took the long way to the stairs, carefully avoiding the waiting room where Daisy would surely be kicking the poor girl out. No need to feel worse right?

Taking the stairs two at a time, Misty felt her excitement growing even more. She hadn't been planning on watching today, maybe not ever, but the dreams she'd been having had changed her mind. She felt like if she didn't even TRY to watch Ash compete, she'd explode.

It didn't matter that the dreams were frustrating, or that they came from seemingly nowhere. What _did _matter was that she hadn't been able to stop thinking of Ash all day, and her heart had raced when Mrs. Ketchum had called to tell her Ash was competing. It was almost like fate.

Her grin broadened as she reached her room and opened the door. Azurill wasn't home today, Tracey had come and picked her up so she could spend some time with his Marill, Azurill's mother. Misty felt sort of lonesome when she realized she'd have to watch alone, but the feeling was tossed when she remembered her excitement.

"Finally, some time to relax." Misty said to herself as she flopped onto her bed, switching the channels on her small TV until she found the Sinnoh station. Mrs. Ketchum had told her that Ash would be competing right about now, and Misty really hoped she knew what she was talking about. Mrs. Ketchum had never really been all that interested in Ash's battles after all.

"And Barry, from Twinleaf town, is our winner! He will be moving on to the next round!" An image of a cute blonde boy about Misty's age flooded the screen. She wondered if Ash would battle the boy later on in the event. That was, of course, if he beat his first challenger. Misty shook her head to herself. _Of course Ash will make it. He's probably way stronger than the last time I saw him._

"Misty?" Misty's head snapped towards the door. Hadn't she closed it?

"What do you want Daisy?" The last thing she needed was Daisy commenting on her watching Ash compete. She would probably think that Misty still had a crush on him or something, which was not even close to the truth.

"I just wanted to give you your alarm clock little sister, geez." Daisy placed a brand new Psyduck alarm clock on Misty's nightstand, and Misty softened. Daisy may be annoying sometimes, but she _did _stick around more than Lily or Violet. She did her best to make Misty happy, most of the time.

"Thanks Daisy. It's… cute. Goodnight!" Daisy smiled and shut the door behind her. Misty turned her attention back to the TV and pulled the blankets around herself. The battles were starting up again and she didn't want to miss a thing. Her stomach was full of Butterfree and she didn't even know why. Probably she was just excited to see Ash battle again. She used to love cheering him on when he battled.

"The battle between Nando of Sinnoh, and Ash of Kanto will now begin!" Misty let out a breath. Somewhere hundreds of miles away, Ash was beginning a battle, and she was watching.

Nando was a tall man with long dark hair and a harp. He looked calm and collected, and Misty gripped her blankets. Something about him just _oozed_ ego.

"Roserade, go!" Nando sent out a beautiful Roserade and she flinched. She hoped Ash had a good one to-

"I choose you – Staraptor!"

And there he was.

His outfit hadn't changed much since she'd last seen him, she realized. His hat was almost exactly the same. And yet, something about him seemed so different; so changed. His face was older, giving off the feeling that he'd been through a lot on his journeys. His posture was strong and determined, and it made her sit up a little straighter in bed.

The Ash Ketchum she had known wasn't completely gone, his eyes were just as full as life as before, but other than that, she felt like she barely knew the person on screen at all.

The person she was looking at was much, much more … she took a big gulp.

_Pay attention to the match Misty_, she scolded herself. She could think about this later.

Okay, so Ash had the type advantage on his side. But the Roserade was tough, and Misty knew just from her battle today that type advantage didn't always mean you'd win. She just hoped that Ash was strong enough to beat him.

The battle had been growing more and more intense since it started. Ash's Staraptor had beaten Nando's Roserade, even after a rough start. But soon after, Staraptor had given in to a Rock Blast from Nando's Armaldo. Now, Ash was sending out his Quilava which kind of surprised Misty. She was sure Quilava was strong, but a part of her had been expecting Ash to use all of his newer Pokemon. She remembered Ash capturing and training Cyndaquil back when she had still been traveling with him in Johto, and the memories made her smile. Ash was getting smarter after all, using more experienced Pokemon. Maybe he was finally learning some sense… Too bad she hadn't known Cyndaquil evolved though. It was weird not knowing everything about Ash's team, especially after having traveled with him for so long. But, she didn't travel with him anymore, so why would he have told her?

_Focus Misty._ Misty reminded herself.

Armaldo and Quilava had both fainted at the same time, leaving Ash and Nando one Pokemon each. Misty stared at the TV, transfixed. Ash just HAD to win this one. She would be so mad if he lost after coming so far. Not to mention, she'd feel pretty awful too...

Misty listened intently as Nando selected his Pokemon.

"Let's go – Kricketune!" She took a deep breath.

"I choose you – Heracross!" Misty breathed again, and laughed.

She remembered Heracross from Johto too. It had always been a good battler, even though it was distracted pretty easily by the smell of sap. That wasn't the only reason she laughed though – she liked the sound of Ash's voice, even if it was just through the TV. It was a little deeper than it used to be, but it was still him. Still Ash. Her Ash. Um. Her FRIEND Ash. Not HER Ash.

Anyway…

Kricketune and Heracross were both fighting to win. Misty gasped when Nando's Kricketune used Sing on Heracross. How could Ash possibly win if Heracross was asleep?

Then, Ash used Sleep-Talk and the doubts left her mind as she cheered. Ash wasn't going to give up without a fight, and neither was Heracross. That was something she had always had in common with Ash - they never gave up on something they wanted.

Heracross woke up and started throwing Focus Punches, and Kricketune stayed strong by countering with Fury Cutter. It was pretty evenly matched.

Both Ash and Nando didn't say anything as the Pokemon flew across the stadium from the impact of their attacks. They really WERE evenly matched.

It was anyone's game.

"Kricketune – use sing!" Misty threw her hands up.

"Ash! Use Megahorn!" She yelled. Ash paused.

"Heracross! Use Megahorn in the ground!"

Heracross hit the ground with Megahorn and launched at Kricketune with a Horn Attack. Kricketune went sailing.

She didn't even need to hear the announcer to know that Ash had won.

"Yes! Yes! YES!" She shouted, jumping up from her bed and fist pumping the air.

"The winner of this battle is Ash Ketchum of Kanto! We'll be seeing him in the next round!" She danced around the room and laughed giddily. She'd been really nervous that he wouldn't be able to make it. But, like always, he'd pulled through. She was so proud of him.

"Congratulations to Ash, and thanks to everyone for watching! We'll see you tomorrow!" Ash's face faded from the screen and Misty finally stopped cheering. The match was over.

Reaching for the remote she clicked the TV off and hoped back into her bed, turning to her side. If only Ash knew that she was watching him, and that she would always cheer him on. When she'd told him to use Megahorn, she kind of wished that he had actually heard and listened to her.

But it was impossible. Ash was hundreds of miles away, and he was probably celebrating with his friends right that moment. There was no way he would even be thinking about her at a time like this. Or ever, actually.

She tried not to, but she felt a tear slide down her cheek and find its way into her hair. It wasn't always fun when you missed someone.

Oh, and when you loved them. That too.


	4. Time changes us

**Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! I'm so glad my first fic isn't a COMPLETE failure haha. Anyway, here's the next chapter. I'm still trying to keep Ash's POV as close to the episodes as I can, but of course this is a Pokeshipping story so it may venture a bit away from them at times ;) For those who are getting tired of the angsty feel of this fic (I know I am) let's just say that it won't last much longerrrr! :D Thanks again and enjoy!**

* * *

"Aww c'mon Ash! We should be celebrating! You _did _just make it to the next round you know!" Dawn smiled. Ash deserved to enjoy himself after his win against Nando!

"Thanks Dawn. And thanks Brock. But honestly, I'm kind of beat. I think I just want to head to bed." Ash tried to smile at his friends, but it was forced.

He wasn't lying; he _was _really exhausted. More than once today he'd thought that he might not make it past the 1st round, and that had really stressed him out. Then, when he'd finally beaten Nando, Ash had started celebrating like crazy with Brock, Dawn, Barry, and Pikachu. The celebrating had lasted a long time, it was late, and he was tired. All he wanted was a good nights rest.

And, if he was lucky, maybe he'd have another dream about Misty tonight.

Ash was confused when he remembered how much he'd wanted to be with her, the longing he'd felt for his friend. He'd never really felt that way about anyone before, and it was kind of frightening. Ash wasn't the kind of guy to let his feelings get in the way of what he wanted to do, and that morning he'd almost done just that. He was great at keeping his emotions under his control. But right now, he felt like he would die if he couldn't get his kiss. He blushed.

_Geez. I'm acting exactly like Brock. Who knew hormones could be so much to handle?_

Ash knew it wasn't of much use to try to forget about her. Even when he'd been battling today, he'd felt like he could feel her with him, cheering him on. It was crazy, but he knew that something weird was making him think of Misty so much, and maybe if he dreamed of her again he could figure it out. Then he could go back to being normal again.

Brock chuckled, as if he knew a secret.

"All right Ash, if that's what you want. A good nights sleep is always a good thing anyway…"

Dawn pouted. "But Brock, Ash should be celebrating-"

Brock stifled his laughter. "Now Dawn. Ash already celebrated. Besides he'll probably be … celebrating … in his sleep anyway." Ash gave Brock a look. What was with HIM?

"Brock? What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"Oh, I just mean that you'll probably dream about scoring, er, WINNING, all night." Brock snickered.

Ash tried to hold back a blush, but failed. No one but Brock seemed to notice.

"You guys are so weird sometimes. Hey, it's Kenny! Wait up! Oh, night Ash!" Dawn scampered away after an old friend of hers, eyes glowing.

Brock couldn't possibly know about his dreams right? Nah. That was crazy.

"Whatever you say. So can you give me the pass code? I'll just go up and crash."

"Yeah sure, it's 5-5-4-3-2-7-1. Just don't leave the room once you get there okay? Last thing I need to do is be looking for you late at night when I could be-" and then, Brock was gone. Hitting on some pretty girl was apparently much more important than lecturing Ash. For once, Brock's hormones had worked in the younger boys favor. He smirked. Now, Ash would have the whole room to himself and Pikachu until Brock and Dawn finished celebrating. He figured they wouldn't be done for at least a couple hours. It would be the perfect way to clear his head. Thinking, and sleeping.

GRRROWL. Ash felt a surprise pang of hunger.

Fine, he would eat something too. Stomachs didn't fill themselves after all!

"Pikapi?" Ash looked up at his shoulder at his first Pokemon.

"Come on Pikachu, I'll order you LOTS of Ketchup."

* * *

Ash had just downed 6 slices of pizza (thank goodness for room service) and was feeling completely stuffed. Pikachu had had his full share of ketchup as well and was now sleeping soundly on Brock's bed.

Doing his best to be quiet, Ash crept closer to the small TV that sat in front of the three trainers beds. Once he found the remote he flipped through the channels until he found a Kanto news station- and then he watched.

All these memories of Misty had really made him miss Kanto too. It felt nice to see what was going on in the place he called his home. No matter where he traveled, he could always tune into a Kanto news station if he was really feeling homesick, and tonight wasn't any different.

"And congratulations to Ash Ketchum, a young trainer for Pallet Town representing Kanto in the Sinnoh League. We're all rooting for you Ash!" Ash felt his heart beam with pride. It was moments like this that made his hard journeys worth it. He was going to be a Pokemon master someday, but for now he was content with just training his Pokemon, and doing his best. It was great to know that so many people were supporting him!

"In other news, Cerulean Gym remains _the_ Gym to beat here in Kanto. It's leader, water Pokemon trainer Misty, hasn't lost a match in weeks and seems to be getting stronger each day. So, for all you trainers out there who want a Cascade Badge, make sure to train very hard! This has been Hannah Mains, signing off."

Ash sat back from the TV and gave a loud exhale.

They'd shown her picture, and he'd barely recognized her. When he closed his eyes it was like the image of her had been burned into his retinas somehow. Her hair had been down and hadn't quite reached her shoulders; like the time she'd worn her kimono for that party years ago. She had been standing with her sisters, but for some reason he couldn't really remember what they'd looked like. Ash embarrassingly noted that her sky blue bikini had been hard to miss. Misty wasn't the skinny runt that had left him back in Kanto anymore, apparently. She was almost a – a woman. He pulled at his collar, feeling tense, a drip of sweat running down his neck. Even her face was different than he remembered. She looked like she had been through a lot since they split up, and that made him kind of upset. She'd probably done so many things without him by now, that she wouldn't even think of him as anything more than the kid she'd left behind. Ash grunted, and then softened.

He couldn't bring himself to be angry with her, even if he may have wanted to. When he'd seen her eyes through the TV, he saw the Misty he recognized as his best friend. Even though she was smiling, her eyes were still full of life and determination. He knew that she hadn't changed on the inside, even if at first glance she looked like someone who Brock would be close to. Not Ash.

She may look… different then he had been picturing her in his dreams. But she was still Misty. Besides, everyone had to grow older sometime, he reasoned. Ash had gotten older too, after all.

Ash switched off the TV and collapsed on the bed, exhausted. He knew one thing for sure- there was no way solving his feelings about Misty were going to be easy, but the best way to start would be to face her head on. And by head on, he meant in his dreams. Because there was no way he could face her in REAL LIFE.

He'd wanted to kiss her when he still saw her as a scrawny tomboy.

Now, it was gonna be a lot worse.

Ash cringed. Time to sleep…


	5. A place to belong

"Guys, I'll be back in a week! Two weeks – tops. You'll be fine."

"But, like, Misty! The gym _needs_ you to survive!" Violet clutched her hands together in a pleading fashion. Misty tried her best to hold back a smug smile.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find a way to manage. Besides, the gym conference won't attend itself you know!" Misty's cheerful voice only caused Lily to pout, shoulders hunching. Misty faked a look of sympathy in the direction of her pink haired sister, but grinned inwardly. They were totally buying every word.

Well, except for one sister that is. Daisy stood at the top of the staircase, a scowl on her usually charming face. There was no _gym conference _going on! Tracey would've mentioned it to her since Professor Oak always attended. The oldest sensational sister knew that something was up, but she wasn't sure what…

Only one way to find out!

"You know, _I _could always go to the conference little sister. That way, you can, like, stay at the gym. I could worry about the boring conference yadda yadda FOR you!" Misty stiffened and looked to the top of the stairs. From up there, Daisy sure looked menacing.

"Daisy!" she squeaked before returning her voice to normal. "Um, I think I should go – I'm the leader and I –"

"Oh, like, come ON Misty. I used to be leader, right? You should stay here. I'll go!" Daisy grinned and pulled three large duffel bags from behind her legs. "Look! I'm, like, packed already!"

Misty's jaw dropped to the floor. This could NOT be happening!

"Daisy! You are like a life-saver! As always!" Lily ran up the stairs and gave the stunning blond a hug.

"Totally! We were so close to, like, actually _battling_ for a week! Torture!" Violet's manicured hand reached up to wipe a bit of imaginary sweat off her brow. Well, Misty _assumed_ it was imaginary, since her sisters never did enough work to actually sweat anyway.

Daisy looked down at Misty with the face of an angel. "Mist? Like, where's the conference again?" Daisy asked innocently, eyes wide.

That was the final straw.

"FINE! There IS no conference, OK? I just need a break from all this gym leader stuff! Now are you HAPPY Daisy? HUH?" Misty slid her back down the wall, looking at the ground. Violet and Lily stared at each other in shock. Why had there baby sister lied? Daisy just exhaled and put down the three empty duffels.

"Like, Misty, you don't need to resort to cheap little tricks if you want a vacay. Just ask, geez." Misty lifted her head to glare at Daisy with malice in her eyes. Used to it, Daisy didn't even flinch.

"Daisy," Misty began calmly, "you _know _I can't just _ask_ for a vacation when the gym needs me. It's not that simple."

Daisy nodded. The runt had a point.

"Look, I'll look after things till you come back, okay? But before you go, you have to tell us why you're _really _going – and where. I soooo don't buy this 'I need a break' crap."

Misty couldn't help but smile a little, which caused Lily and Violet to unstiffen. It was true; even if the gym was stressful and hard to manage at times, she loved battling challengers and training her Pokemon. She felt like she could do it forever, even without a break.

But right now, she felt like she would die if she didn't talk about Ash with someone. But, that certain someone – it just couldn't be her sisters. She honestly wanted to confide in them, but getting teased was not high on her list of things to do. Misty didn't think they would be able to take her issues seriously.

That, and Mrs. Ketchum had always said Misty was welcome to drop by whenever she wanted to…

"Well, I was thinking of maybe going to Mrs. Ketchum's for awhile. Just a little visit, you know? I've missed her, and I bet she's lonely."

Misty's three older sisters seemed puzzled.

"Like, Misty? Who's Mrs. Ketchum?" Daisy inquired. Misty did a faceplant and Azurill trilled.

"Mrs. Ketchum… she's … Ash's … mom." Misty forced the words out.

They just stared.

"Remember? Ash? The friend I traveled with before you guys went on your cruise?"

Now they remembered.

"Awww! I so KNEW you had a crush on him-"

"Will he, like, BE THERE?"

"Your first boyfriend!"

Misty groaned. THIS was why she had made the lie in the first place. Next time, she promised to be more convincing.

"Guys! I don't like Ash like that, not anymore. I just… am friends with his mom?" She knew how lame it sounded, but she hadn't expected them to burst out laughing. Nice.

Lily wiped a tear from her eye, and Violet let go of her stomach, the cramps from her laughter subsiding. Daisy grinned at Misty again.

"Have fun little sis. If you don't come back with a boyfriend, expect the worst!" Misty beamed as the three girls began laughing again, walked up the stairs, and left her sight.

"All right!" She whooped, tossing Azurill in the air. The worst was over!

"C'mon Azurill! To Pallet Town!"

-(0)-(0)-(0)-

The trip to Pallet Town was A LOT nicer than she remembered it being. But, it was probably just because she didn't have to walk there this time around.

"Thanks again for the lift, Tracey!" Misty shouted. Tracey had a convertible and the wind buffeted against her ears, muffling the sounds around her.

"Don't mention it! I still owe you for convincing Daisy to go out with me, remember?" Misty laughed.

A couple months ago, Tracey had been too shy and nervous to ask Daisy for _anything_, much less a date. It had taken a lot of convincing and yelling, but Misty had finally gotten Tracey to realize that if he just ASKED, Daisy would say yes. But before he even got the chance to, Daisy had asked him out herself. Go figure.

"You don't owe me Tracey – but whenever you want to give me a lift…" the two teens laughed as they pulled up to the small white house.

"Here we are! Tell Mrs. Ketchum I said 'Hello!'" Misty climbed out of the car and Azurill jumped onto her shoulder, giving a small 'Zuu'.

"Sure thing – bye Tracey!" she waved as the car sped off back to Cerulean City. He and Daisy had a date tonight, and she didn't blame him for not wanting to be late. Misty had the worst temper out of the sisters, but Daisy, Lily, and Violet didn't have great tempers either. It ran in their blood, she guessed.

She turned her head to look at the house again and gave a small smile. The place looked so … cozy … bathed in the glow of the sunset. The flowers that Mrs. Ketchum tended to stirred in the breeze and she could smell their scents in the air. The house had always been comfortable, but it had never looked so inviting.

"Zuu-zuu! Rill!" Misty squeezed her baby Pokemon and approached the steps, almost running in anticipation.

"Mrs. Ketchum? Are you here? It's me, Misty!" Usually she would knock, but Misty couldn't help herself. She ran into the house as if it were her own.

"Mmm! I smell apple pie!"

"Zuu-rill!" Azurill jumped out of her arms and onto the couch. Misty was about to make her way to the kitchen when a voice behind stopped her.

"Well, what a surprise this is! You've grown so much Misty…"

"Mrs. Ketchum!"

Misty spun and wrapped her arms around the older woman, hugging her.

"I'm glad to see you, dear." Delia stroke the young girls hair and Misty almost bawled. She was so nice.

"I'm glad to see you too."


	6. Skirting the issue

"Ash! You have to wake up – your mom's calling you downstairs. She says it's important."

Ash shot up from the bed and grabbed his head in pain. OW! Why did his head hurt so bad?

"Does your head hurt? Well I'm not surprised." Dawn laughed, "Brock says you kept whacking it against the headboard last night."

Ash stared at her. "Then WHY didn't you stop me? I was probably having a nightmare!" Normally he wouldn't have snapped at her, but he was in a surprising amount of pain. Since when do people hit their heads repeatedly in their sleep and not wake up? Dawn blushed and began stammering.

"I – uh – well I wasn't here last night actually, Brock just mentioned it to me this morning-"

"Why didn't he stop me?" Ash gestured wildly.

"Don't ask me! He probably thought you were trying to clear your head or something!"

Ash blinked. "Who clears their head by hitting it on a headboard?"

"Brock, apparently."

Ash sighed. Dawn was one of his best friends, but sometimes she really confused him. She could be really smart and crafty, but when she didn't know something - she was dumb as a rock. Kind of like him, he admitted.

"I'm going to go have some breakfast, wanna train later?" He nodded. Dawn smiled and she and Piplup skipped out of the room, slamming the door behind them. The slam didn't really help his headache.

_I'm glad he didn't ask where I was last night_, Dawn thought to herself. _It would've been kind of awkward explaining that I'd spent the night with Kenny. I mean, Ash may be dense sometimes, but he's still a teenage guy. He'd probably think the worst. _(A/N – Getcha mind out of the gutta guys! They were just catching up and watching TV. You're all sick c(: )

"Geez Pikachu, why can't I sleep like a normal per-" Ash was pulling his shirt over his head when he suddenly remembered what had happened the night before. He continued putting on his clothes without speaking.

He'd dreamed of Misty again, but it had been different then the other times. For one thing, Ash was at his house back in Pallet, relaxing with Pikachu and his mom. When he'd gone upstairs to his room he'd found Misty just sitting there on his bed. At first he'd been surprised, what was she doing in his house? But his surprise subsided when he'd seen what she was doing.

Misty never cried. Not even when she'd gone back to Cerulean, even though he was pretty sure she'd wanted to. He'd only ever seen tears in her eyes a couple of times, and even then she never really cried them out.

So he was really scared when he'd seen her crying on his bed.

"Mist? Are you okay? What's wrong?" He'd asked, voice cracking. She looked so sad. So, SO sad.

It killed him.

"You – you – you!" Misty was almost sobbing and Ash had run to her, putting his arms around her quaking shoulders.

"You LEFT me Ash! Back in Cerulean! You never ONCE asked me to come with you! What's wrong with you!" He'd stood up, shocked at the venom in her voice. She looked so hurt.

"I AM hurt! And now, you're going to pay!"

Then she'd brought out the mallet.

Now, Ash's face had met Misty's mallet more than once in his lifetime. But as she smacked him, over and over, Ash felt a different kind of pain. It was true, he hadn't gone back to Kanto in a while. He'd blamed it on his need to train, if he kept going home, he'd never become a Pokemon Master.

But leaving behind your friends did not make you a good person, and his excuses were just that… Excuses. He could've gone back for her. Why hadn't he?

Ash pulled on his shirt and placed his cap on his head before snapping on his jeans. If he didn't hurry, his mom might hang up. She wasn't known to have the most patience in the world, especially considering Ash often forgot to keep her updated. He flinched. That too was something he could have prevented with a little effort!

Taking the steps two at a time, Ash skidded into the room and smiled. There was Brock, talking to his mom on the video-phone, and Pikachu was on his shoulder.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped off of Brock's shoulder and into Ash's arms. Ash laughed and pet his buddy on the head.

"Morning Pikachu."

"Pika pika chu ka?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. My head hurts pretty bad, but that's nothing a good breakfast can't fix." As if on cue, Ash's stomach rumbled quite loudly. Ash and Pikachu both laughed.

"Well Mrs. Ketchum here's your son now-"

"Thank you Brock, it was nice talking to-"

"No problem Delia! Anything for a beautiful, sophisticated, mature woman such as yourself! If you ever need me – I'm just a phone call awa-!" Brock's face paled and his hand dropped the receiver as a swift poison jab hit him on the side.

"Brock?" Mrs. Ketchum gasped as she saw Brock fall over. Was he being dragged off by a Croagunk?

"He's fine Mom, that happens all the time." Ash explained, picking up the receiver and putting it to his ear.

"Is everything okay? Did you see my battle with Nando? I did pretty well, right?" Ash may have gotten older on his journey, but whenever he spoke to his mom it was like he reverted back to a ten year old. Always eager to please.

"You did a great job sweetheart, as always… But that's not why I'm calling."

Ash's smile fell. "Is something wrong, mom? Do you need me to come home?"

"No, no!" Delia raised her hands and shooed away the thought. "Nothing like that. I was just wondering, have you spoken to Misty recently?"

"Misty?" Ash croaked, hand tightening on the receiver. "Ah, no. I can't say I have."

"Oh. Because she's here."

Ash's eyes almost jumped out of his head. Misty was there? In his HOUSE? Why? He had so many questions to ask, but he could only sputter out a 'What?'

"I'm glad for the company of course, but I assumed you were the one who put her up to visit." Ash just stared at the screen mutely. "Since you seem so surprised I'm guessing you don't have anything to do with this, huh?" Then she laughed, a laugh of relief. "I was _going _to tell you that if you wanted to make sure I was okay you could just CALL instead of sending Misty to find out for you… But if you didn't ask her to come, I guess she really just wanted to see me then. Splendid!"

Ash continued to see his mom chattering happily, but he wasn't really listening. Pikachu nudged him.

"Oh, um, yeah that _is _great mom. Is she, uh, in the house now?"

Delia shook her head, "No – I sent her out to grab some milk. Why? Do you want to talk to her? She'll be back any minute I'm sure –"

"No! I – I mean, no thanks. I've got to go train. I'll talk to her later…" Well, that was a blatant lie. He would NOT be calling the house again until he was sure she was gone. He couldn't risk having an emotional breakdown right now, when he really needed to concentrate on his Pokémon.

"Sweetie – are you okay? Oh, here's Misty now! Misty!"

That's when Ash started panicking.

"BYE MOM GOTTA GO LOVE YOUUUU!" He slammed down the receiver so hard that Pikachu jumped.

"Pikapi…" What was that tone in Pikachu's voice? Was that PITY? Ash wasn't pitiful! He was trying to keep his eye on the prize! The Sinnoh League! It was what he had been training for since he first started out in Sinnoh!

"Aww c'mon Pikachu – you have to understand why I'm doing this."

"Kachu pi Pikachupi." Ash's jaw dropped and Pikachu smirked.

He was NOT afraid of Misty!

He was afraid of what she did to him.


End file.
